


False Alarm

by J_Antebellum



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25079128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Antebellum/pseuds/J_Antebellum
Summary: Ali receives a false positive for Coronavirus but, while they figure out if it's false or not, the newlyweds separate and Ashlyn has to get creative to let her know she loves her more than anything and no virus will keep them apart, because after all, Ali's biggest fear is to be alone and that is not going to happen on Ashlyn's watch. Whatever it takes.
Relationships: Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	False Alarm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angielc1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angielc1/gifts).



> A few days ago Tumblr user and reader @angielc1 asked me to write a fanfic about the recent scare Ali and Ashlyn had with Covid after a group of teammates went out one night. Now, initially I wasn't going to do it because my laptop was, until a few hours ago, at the technician and writing on the phone is a pain in the ass. Also, I didn't feel entirely comfortable doing so until I was 200% sure Ashlyn and Ali were okay. However over the last few days they have turned out to be okay and so I have decided I'll give it a try to writing just this one-shot in the phone.
> 
> Also I would like to add is going to take me a little while to go back to updating fics because even though I just got my laptop back now, I'm suffering tremendous anxiety lately and it's quite paralysing (anyone wants to live with me in London?) Kudos to Asus for being the best and fixing things super quickly though.

It started out with an email to get the entire Orlando Pride together for a video conference on the same day, a very important one. Nobody knew what it was about until Coach Marc Skinner, looking at them all serious through his computer camera, announced they had had some positives for Covid-19 in the team and thus all training and activity was cancelled. They would withdraw from the upcoming tournament immediately and cease all activity for precaution, and they would do two further rounds of tests to check whether the cases were false positives or not.

They didn't immediately know who had it. They were asked to remain home and self quarantine, and the results each had would be sent to each individually through email to avoid any backlash from other players or other people, as they wanted to keep things as peaceful as posible. All they knew was that everyone was asymptomatic.

"Don't worry too much," Ali reassured her wife, rubbing her tense shoulders after the call. "We feel good, we are good. And being asymptomatic nobody will get too bad, right? We should all be just fine. They're probably false positives anyway, we've all been pretty much in self quarantine."

Ashlyn's frown deepened and she looked up worriedly at the older woman. She didn't want to worry and stress her further, but she also didn't like hiding things from her partner for life.

"I don't know, Alex... a few days ago I saw some of the girls post stuff on social media as if they had been out partying or something. So we haven't all been self quarantining."

It wasn't surprising that Ali's eyes narrowed in anger as her face became tense with renovated worry, all at once.

"That they did what?! Who?! How do they dare-?"

"Sweetie, hey calm down," said Ashlyn standing up and putting her hands on her shoulders. "I know it's indignant, but they were the rookies and they're young and stupid. I agree they deserve to be ripped a new one, but step by step, okay? Now they're possibly very ill, we need to stick together and support each other. Once everybody is all right, then I promise I'll let you eat them alive." She smiled small. She was worried sick, but her priority at the moment was to keep her wife happy.

And it worked. Ali puffed but nodded, wrapping her arms around her blonde wife's waist and leaning against her chest, nuzzling into her neck. It was her happy place. Ashlyn rubbed her back soothingly and kissed the top of her head.

"First Covid, then the league, now our stupid teammates and back to being locked home. Maybe we are jinxed after all." Ali commented, making Ashlyn smile.

"Hey maybe this will get us more supporters next year out of pity," joked Ashlyn, and Ali snorted a laugh.

"Orlando Pride, the comeback kids. If we start selling purple Covid merch who knows, maybe we'll get to start out kids' University funds."

They smiled at each other, trying to keep the moment light, and shared a short kiss because their phones buzzed with new email notifications. It had to be the test results.

Ashlyn read hers twice, breathing out in relief as she was clean of the virus. Then she looked at Ali and saw the brunette still had her eyes glued to her phone screen and seemed to be holding her breath in tension.

"Babe? You okay? You're clean, right?"

"I..." Ali looked at Ashlyn and paled, stepping back. "Don't get closer, Ash. I'm positive."

"What? No, you must've misunderstood, it has to say-"

"We've done a bunch of these I know how to read the results, honey. Listen, you stay here, okay? We have the garden open all the time so this floor is well ventilated and we clean here daily so it's probably safer. I'll be upstairs."

Ashlyn's chest tightened with anxiety and she jumped to her feet like a scared dog.

"Wait, what? And what are you going to do? We need to take you to the hospital, before you get any symptoms- how are we supposed to separate here? I'm your wife! I have to be with you, take care of-"

"Baby," Ali interrupted her gently with a small, soothing smile. Ashlyn could tell that her girlfriend just wanted for her to not get all anxious, even if it meant shoving in her own fears to appear calmer than she probably was, all for Ashlyn's sake. The blonde appreciated the gesture. "I'm all right, remember? I've got no symptoms, I feel great, so there's no need for you to take care of me, and there's nothing a doctor can do for me right now. The best thing we can do is try to keep the most distance from one another so that you don't get it, if you haven't already, and the dogs don't get it. We need to each sanitize and wash one floor, specially rooms I've been in and things I've touched, and in a few days we'll get two more rounds of tests and we'll see if the results get confirmed or if it turns out it was a false positive. Then, we'll see what to do, uh? But now just... one day at a time."

"Take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves," Ashlyn murmured for herself, echoing words Ali frequently said.

"Exactly," Ali took a deep breath and put a bit more distance with Ashlyn, conscious not to touch anything. "I love you," she added turning to fix her eyes on Ashlyn's as the goalkeeper stood like a lost puppy in despair, "you're my everything, okay?"

"And you're mine. My whole life," Ashlyn told her. "I can't lose you..."

"You won't, just remember I'm fine, uh? I promise you everything will be all right. Before you know it, all of this will be just some distant memory and we'll be happy on the pitch again kicking balls."

"Okay," Ashlyn sighed trying to collect herself. "I'll bring dinner to your door, uh? Why don't you take... Logan? So you're not all alone up there. She's up to date with her shots and everything and she's got a tough immune system, specially after that poo she ate once," she smiled gently at the memory. "And if you don't cough on her and wash your hands, she should be fine, right? Besides she's always had something special with you, and I'm only slightly smaller than her," she added jokingly, "so you'll have something to squeeze at night."

Ali beamed at her from ear to ear.

"That's a great idea. Loggy! Come here baby girl," Ali got the bigger of their dogs to come and hey began to walk to the stairs. Once there she turned to Ashlyn again. "Sweet dreams my love. We're gonna be fine, okay?"

Ashlyn smiled and nodded.

"Just think of our honeymoon in Bora Bora uh? You, me, white beaches and clear water..." said Ashlyn with a wink. "You're a warrior, Corona has nothing on you. And I love you. And anything you need, just shout it out, sweetie, we're not an ocean away this time. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Ali blew her a kiss and Ashlyn made a show of diving to get it and bringing it to her heart, making Ali giggle before they separated for the night.

In the morning, Ashlyn, who had barely slept, anxious and pacing up and down the stairs in case she heard Ali cough, cry or something, was up early and opened the garden for the dogs while she cooked breakfast. Then, an idea struck her.

She rushed to the garden while the machine got their coffee ready and started shoving the biggest rocks she could hold in one hand into a bag. Then she finished breakfast, put it on two trays, and on Ali's she added a small bouquet of wild flowers from their garden. Then she walked to the front porch and used the rocks to write 'I <3 U' on the grass below their bedroom's front window. Just as she turned around to return inside, she spotted a long branch that had fallen and, after examining it for a moment, checking it was clean, she had an idea and put it on the steps of their stairs inside.

Next, Ashlyn fed the dogs and walked to Ali's door to gently open it, letting Logan out to eat and go to the garden for her needs. She peeked Ali sleeping and grinned before leaving her to get her mask, gloves, and put Ali's tray of full breakfast with the flowers and a quick note on their bedroom's desk. Then she closed the door, grabbed her own tray, and sat on the stairs, keeping about three metres with the front door of the master bedroom, which she eyed attentively.

Then, Ashlyn phoned Ali. Her sleepy voice being woken up made her smile instantly.

"Ash? Everything okay?"

"Good morning my queen. Look on your desk."

"Good morning sweetie... what's on my... oh! Baby is all of this for me? You're so sweet!" Ali sounded emotional now. "Aw, Ashlyn, babe... I love you so much. The flowers are so beautiful and this looks so yummy! Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it! Now go to the window that leads to our front porch and look down on the grass."

Ashlyn heard the movement and awaited patiently. To her surprise, Ali sniffled.

"Oh my God... this is the loveliest surprise I've ever gotten! I love it, I don't know what to say..."

"Don't say anything. Put the armchair by your door, and sit there with your breakfast and open the door, baby." Ashlyn spoke tenderly. "I'm going to hang up, you just do that."

A moment after she hung up, the door opened and Ali appeared sitting with her breakfast, sniffling quietly. Her face illuminated to form the greatest smile when she saw her, her eyes all teary. Even Ashlyn felt like crying seeing her safe and happy.

"Now open that letter," Ashlyn pointed to the note waiting on Ali's tray, folded. "Read it to me."

"My most beloved," Ali read, and grinned tearfully. "I hope you slept well. Now is time to start a new day, so enjoy this breakfast for champions full of vitamins to fight off that virus just right. Corona has no idea it messed with the wrong queen! Soon, there'll come better days, you'll see. And through them all, I'll be right here. Love you more than anything, Ash."

"So what do you say if we have joint breakfast here uh?" Ashlyn offered. "I wanted to stare at something beautiful instead of the news for a change."

"Smooth, Harris, smooth... but I'd want nothing else. Thank you for all of this and... for being just the perfect partner for life. I'm so lucky, and Coronavirus can't take that away from me." Ali rubbed the tears off her eyes and grinned at her, holding her tray on her lap. "How I wish I could at least touch you... but this is great nonetheless. You've done everything a girl could ask for."

"Actually... maybe this will help," Ashlyn put her tray aside, checking the dogs were still outside and not about to steal her food, and grabbed the long branch stick. She knelt a bit closer to Ali and made sure to be at the same height before handing her the other extreme of the stick. "Hold it against your sternum okay? And close your eyes." Ali looked curious, but did so. Ashlyn did the same and leaned slightly forward, pressing the stick both against her own chest and Ali's.

"Oh... it's like you're pressed against my heart," said Ali. "Oh, Ash..."

"I'm right here baby," Ashlyn was dying to hold her, but settled with the little consolation prize and smiled, a silent tear falling down her cheek. "I'm never going to leave you all alone, okay? I'm sure this has to be a false positive, or else I would surely have it too... but if it isn't, that's okay too. I'll take care of you, and you'll get better real fast... and if for some reason we both get it, then I'll hold you close all through the storm."

"Don't sound too chirpy with the possibility," Ali scolded gently.

Ashlyn opened her eyes and grinned seeing she was looking at her.

"When is it going to keep in your little head that I would much rather fight an illness alongside you, than being healthy while you're fighting this thing alone? I'm not at risk like you with your embolism... chances are good for me. And if I get to hold you as close as we both want to, then everything is worth it."

"You really would be willing to catch this bastard just to be with me?" Ali asked touched.

"I'd do anything for you... hell, if I could catch it instead of you, I would in a heartbeat."

Ali was sure she really meant it, and it warmed her heart. 

"Just be here. This is good for now."

"Okay."

Fortunately a couple days later, two false positives for the two of them in a row, plus a third that they got from state tastings, made them both realize the positive had been false all along and neither of them had ever really had Coronavirus. The joy was unparalleled.

"We're clean! We're clean!" Ashlyn shouted at the top of her lungs as Ali read the message with her last results. "Come here baby!" She wasted no time on jumping on Ali, and they held onto each other like castaways holding onto their one life jacket. Ashlyn sobbed out of deep relief and Ali grinned, clenching her har and kissing every bit of her she could reach.

"You were right, it was a false alarm, we're okay..." Ali kissed the top of her temple, tiptoeing to reach her, and grinned, holding her face and staring at her wife full of love. "But now I know you really are one of a kind, Ashlyn Harris. Nothing will ever really separate us, isn't it?"

"God I hope so," Ashlyn kissed her as if she was her oxygen. "I love you. I'll never leave you to suffer alone. Never."

"The feeling is mutual. You're my perfect forever," Ali kissed her again. "I love you more."


End file.
